1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coin discharging apparatus provided in a vending machine or coin exchanger for automatically discharging coins responding to a coin discharge command signal from a controller, and more particularly, to an improved coin discharging apparatus capable of enhancing operational reliability while improving productivity by simplifying a coin discharging apparatus.
2. Description of the Background Art
In general, a coin discharging apparatus is provided in an interior of a vending machine or coin exchanger, wherein coins are kept inside and a predetermined amount of coins are automatically discharged responding to the command signal from a controller when the change is to be paid to a customer or bill is to exchanged to coins.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional coin discharging apparatus includes a base plate 110. As shown in the FIG. 2, the base plate 110 is a rectangular plate having two longer edges than an other two edges and provided with a coin discharging chute 112 extending downwardly from the bottom of the base plate 110.
A stand 113 is formed on a top surface of the base plate 110 by molding it in a body with the base plate 110. The stand 113 approximately rectangular shaped, and has a size covering half of the length of the base plate 110, and is provided with an opening 111 communicated with said discharging chute 112 for discharging coins. A guide recess 113a is extended from a portion of the opening 111 to a shorter edge than other two edges of the stand 113 opposing to the opening 111.
Four supports 114 are formed in a body as the base plate 110 by molding and are protrude from the top surface of the base plate 110 for providing a space for a guide screw 147 to move. Two supports 114 are positioned at two corners of the base plate 110 opposing to the stand 113 and each of other 2 supports 114 is positioned respectively at near the longer edges of the base plate 110. Each support 114 has a threaded recess for receiving a screw.
A supporting plate 131 is positioned on the four supports 114 and fixed by inserting screws 175 into the threaded recess. An elongate guide slot 131a is provided at the predetermined position of the supporting plate 131 for guiding and limiting the movement of the guide screw 147.
A bracket 132 is placed on the supporting plate 131 and fixed on the supporting plate 131 by screwing the screws 175 via supporting plate 131 into the four supports 114. The shape bracket 132 is an approximate U-shaped curved steel plate, and there is a hole on a convex top surface of the bracket 132 for accommodating an output shaft 133a of a motor 133. Two wings protrude from two side walls of the bracket 132 for supporting the bracket 132 and for fixing the bracket 132 by screws 175.
A motor 133 is disposed and supported on the convex top surface of the bracket 132 for providing rotating torque.
A cam 134 is connected to the output shaft 133a of a motor 133 by inserting the output shaft 133a into its central axial opening and fixing it with a screw. Under this connection, the cam 134 is rotatable in accordance with the rotation of the output shaft 133a of a motor 133.
A pin 135 is force fit into a through hole of the cam 134 via sleeve 136 for enhancing the engagement of pin 135 with the through hole of the cam 134. The sleeve 136 extends downwardly towards a slider body 141 and a guide hole 142 is formed on the slider body 141 for providing a contacting wall pushable by the sleeve 136. A head of the guide screw 147 is supported by the top surface of the slider body 141 and a body of the guide screw 147 passes through the slider body 141 into the elongate guide slot 131a. Thus, when the output shaft 133a of the motor 133 rotates, the sleeve l36 rotate in accordance with the rotation of the cam 134, and the rotating sleeve l36 pushes the wall of guide hole 142, so the slider body 141 moves back and forth. At that time, the guide screw 147 is guided and limited by the elongate guide slot 131a, so a length and track of the reciprocating slider body 141 are also guided and limited.
Slider 146 is T-shaped shape and has a stem portion extending from the edge of the slider body 141 opposing to the stand 113 towards the opening 111 of the stand 113 and a head portion crossing the edge of the slider body 141 and protruding from the edge of the slider body 141. There is a spring hole 144 on each protruded portion of the head portion respectively, for being hooked by a end of coil spring 148.
A switch actuating protrusion 145 is provided on the head portion of the slider 146 for actuating a coin counter switch 127. A cover plate 121 is disposed on the stand 113 for covering a top surface of the stand 113. The cover plate 121 has a pair of wings 121b extended from both longer edges of the cover plate 121 and each end of the coil springs 148 is hooked by each of recesses 121c of the wings 121b. The cover plate 121 has a hole 121a formed for receiving a first pipe 122 for discharging coins. A second pipe 123 is connected to pipe 122. Each 122,123 is for holding coins.
Threads are provided on a wall of the cover plate 121 forming hole 121a and these threads of the cover plate 121 engage with threads of the lower potion of the first pipe 122. The first pipe 122 has a slot 122a for receiving absence sensing switch 125. Threads are is provided on an inner wall of an upper portion of the first pipe 122 and the second pipe 123 is also provided with threads at its lower portion, so the first pipe 122 is coupled to the second pipe 123 by engaging these two threaded portions. A nut 123a is disposed for covering a coupled portion between the first pipe 122 and the second pipe 123.
A bracket 124 is fixed on the cover plate 121 for supporting the absence sensing switch 125. The absence sensing switch 125 has a switch arm 125a and a switch contact 125b. The switch arm 125a and the switch contactor 125b are inserted into the first pipe 122 through the slot 122a so that they may sense an insufficiency of coins. When there are coins more than, such as three coins, enough to exchange or pay the change in the first pipe, the coin push the switch arm 125a to contact with the switch contactor 125b, so a switch ON or OFF signal can be generated and outputted from the absence sensing switch 125.
A bracket 126 is fixed on the cover plate 121 by screws for supporting the coin counter switch 127. Screws 173 the bracket 126 on the cover plate 121 and screws 174 the coin counter switch 127 on the bracket 126.
The coin counter switch 127 includes a switch arm 127a and a switch contactor 127b.
When the slider 146 slides forth along the guide recess 113a for pushing a coin, the switch actuating protrusion 145 pushes the switch arm 127a to contact with the switch contactor 127b.
This operation can be easily understood by referring to the FIGS. 4A, 4B. That is, FIGS. 4A shows a state where in the slider 146 slides forth along the guide recess 113a for pushing a coin, and the switch actuating protrusion 145 pushes the switch arm 127a to contact with the switch contactor 127b. FIG. 4B shows a state wherein the slider 146 slides back along the guide recess 113a, the switch actuating protrusion 145 releases, and the switch arm 127a separates from the switch contactor 127b.
If the switch arm 127a contacts with the switch contactor 127b, the coin counter switch 127 counts a discharge of a coin and generates/outputs a signal representing a discharge of a coin.
The operation of the above mentioned conventional coin discharging apparatus will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3A, 3B as follows.
As shown in FIG. 3B, when the slider 146 moves back, a lowest coin of the coins 1 being stacked in the pipe means 120 is supported by the stand 113.
Since the opening of the first pipe 122 is deviated partially from the opening 111 of the discharging chute 112 and the stand 113, most portions of the lowest coin of the coins 1 being stacked in the pipe means 120 are placed on the stand 113 without falling through the discharging chute 112.
If there is a command signal from the controller (not shown) for paying change or exchanging bills into coin, the motor 133 rotates responding to said command signal. The rotation of the motor 133 makes the cam 134 connected to the output shaft of the motor 133 rotate, and the sleeve 136 connected to the cam 134 pushes the slider body 141 to move forth. Simultaneously with this action, the guide screw 147 moves forth in the guide slot 131a.
Thus the slider 146 moves forth as much as the length of the guide slot 131a, so the lowest coin 1 on the stand 113 is pushed by the slider 146 to drop into the discharging chute 112.
At this time, the switch actuating protrusion 145 moves forth, and actuates the coin counter switch 127. And the coin counter switch 127 generates and outputs a count signal indicating a discharge of a coin to the controller.
By the time the controller receives the corresponding count signal with a predetermined value from the coin counter switch 127, the controller outputs the command signal to the motor 133 continuously, so the slider 146 repeatedly to moves back and forth until the command signal indicates the ceasing of operation from the controller to the motor 133.
The description of the operation of the other parts except above mentioned will be omitted for avoiding repetition.
However, the conventional coin discharging apparatus has a complicated slider and also there are required many parts such as cams, pins, sleeves, brackets, etc., thereby deteriorating productivity and incurring production cost.
Further, since the reciprocal movement of the slider is restored by the tension spring, the tension of the spring is deteriorated when used for a long time period.
And the counting of coin discharging is implemented by a coin counter switch actuated by the switch actuating protrusion on the slider, and the slider is biased by two springs. So, if there is any deviation from the correct relative position between coin counter switch and switch actuating protrusion or if there is any difference of tension between the two springs, the correct counting of coin is not implemented, thereby deteriorating product reliability.